Puppet Spike
by evil-chipmunk31
Summary: set between 5x10 and 5x12, Spike recieves a suspicious phone call from "Doyle" and is turned into a puppet.
1. a suspicious phone call

Spike was sitting on the couch in his apartment playing video games when the phone rang, he gave the phone an annoyed glance and refocused on his game. The phone rang a few more times and Spike sighed as he paused the game to pick up the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Spike-It's Doyle." Said Lindsey on the other line.  
  
"And what? You get another vision?" Spike shifted the phone under his chin to resume his game.  
  
"Yeah, I did. The powers sent me a message about this TV show called Smile Time-" Lindsey was cut off by the sound of Spike throwing his controller to the floor.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Spike shouted angrily.  
  
"Spike? Is there a problem?" Lindsey asked cautiously. He'd learned from previous experiences that it was best not to give Spike a reason to shift his frustration onto him.  
  
"Damn right there is, the stupid ape thinks he's better than me!"  
  
"Excuse me?" Lindsey asked, confused.  
  
"The monkey throwing barrels-he doesn't know who he's dealing with."  
  
"Oh, I see." He replied, still not entirely clear on what was going on, but he didn't want to aggravate him any further. "Anyway, getting back to what I was saying...." Lindsey heard the controller being hurled to the ground again.  
  
"Right, the kids show. What about it?" Spike asked.  
  
"Apparently kids have been going into a coma like state while watching it, the Powers would like you to look into it."  
  
"Alright, but isn't this more up Angel's ally? I've never been much for the investigative thing."  
  
"I told you, the Powers aren't interested in him anymore, you've seen what that place has been doing to him."  
  
"Yeah, Wes and Charlie came by the other day, thought they could convince me to sign up there."  
  
"You didn't mention anything about me did you?" Lindsey said, trying to mask his alarm.  
  
"No," Spike replied, frowning at the concern in his voice. "It didn't come up, why does it matter?"  
  
"Angel doesn't need to know about me about me yet. Lets just say we've had our...disagreements...in the past."  
  
"You did eh?" Spike said, raising an eyebrow. "You guys know each other?"  
  
"That's not important right now." Lindsey replied quickly, realizing he may have said too much. "What's important is helping these kids."  
  
"Alright, I'll see if I can find anything over there tonight." Spike hung up the phone thoughtfully. He wondered what Doyle's connection was to Angel, and why he had been so eager to change the topic when he had asked him about it. Spike remembered that Doyle didn't want Angel to know about him. Angel may be getting corrupted but he still was trying to hold onto his white hat, and considering that Doyle had let it slip that they didn't see eye to eye, that made it look like Doyle was no champion himself. Spike decided that he'd look into that more later, right now he needed to find out what he could about Smile Time.  
  
"This is far worse than any so called horror show I've ever seen." Spike said, as he looked around a room filled with various brightly coloured puppets and cheery cardboard cutouts. "Nothing in here." he muttered to himself and he continued through the building. He stopped for a moment and put his hand on the wall for support, he didn't feel right, dizzy mostly. He tried to ignore it and walked down the hallway until he came to a sign that said DON'T . Next to it was a door with a padlock on it, Spike grabbed the lock and effortlessly yanked it off and he walked into a dark room with a man sitting in front of a large egg-like object.  
  
"You shouldn't be here." The man croaked.  
  
"Why's that mate?" Spike asked, and took a step forward. He then noticed the egg shaped thing was opening, it almost seemed to smile at him for a moment before it opened further and he was hurled backwards into a pile of boxes. He pushed away the boxes on too of him and gasped as he saw his own arm. He was so small, and fuzzy. He had been turned into one of the creepy puppets he had seen earlier! "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed, and thrashed his way out of the mountain of boxes 


	2. a visit from Wesley

"Thank god I didn't lock the door." Spike muttered as he entered his apartment, he headed straight to the fridge. "Puppets better be able to drink." It had been a long night. After realizing he couldn't drive home, he had to walk several miles back to his apartment. Along the way he met a stray dog that had chased him down an ally, luckily he had been able to squeeze through a gate leaving the dog behind. He was too shaken up from that to find much humor in the way that homeless man had stared at him as he walked by. "Oh, balls." Spike said, looking up at the handle on the fridge, he wasn't tall enough to grab it. He curled his puppet fingers around the door and tried to yank it open, but it didn't work. He sighed and headed into his bedroom, he was exhausted. Resigned to deal with his problem in the morning, he climbed up into his bed and went to sleep.  
  
The next morning Spike had just gotten out of bed when he heard a knock on the door. "Spike?" It was Wesley. Spike quickly stood against his wall and out of Wesley's view. He heard the door open and Wesley step inside.  
  
"Knew that unlocked door would bite me in the ass." He muttered to himself.  
  
"Spike? Is that you?" Wesley called. Spike sighed, Wesley knew he was home.  
  
"You know you shouldn't just barge into a bloke's home when he doesn't answer the door." Spike called back, still hiding in his room.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just wanted to check in." Wesley looked around the room, a little puzzled that Spike was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm a big boy Percy, don't need you looking out for me."  
  
"That wasn't exactly why I came here, Spike. We're working on a case and I was hoping you might have heard something that may be of some help." He paused, still feeling a little awkward that he was talking to an empty room. "Spike, is there a reason you wont come out?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And that would be...."  
  
"It would be none of your business, mate."  
  
"Fine." Wesley replied, sighing. "There's a television show called Smile Time that we think might be harming children. Angel's going to check out the studio and the rest of us are trying to find some clues as to what exactly it's up to.  
  
"No, Wesley, Angel can't go to the studio. He'll get-" Spike stopped and reconsidered. "No wait-on second thought, absolutely he should do that." Wesley rolled his eyes and pulled out his cell phone.  
  
"Angel, you might want to hold off going to the studio for now. No, I don't know why, I just...doubt it's a good idea." Wesley hung up the phone. "Spike, What's going on?"  
  
"Look, I want to talk with Fred, she might be able to help." Spike replied.  
  
"Fred's busy. She's looking into the possible biological causes for what's happening to the kids."  
  
"Bugger." Spike muttered. He hesitated and stepped into the doorway. "Then she's wasting her time."  
  
"Spike?" Wesley gapped at him. "What happened?"  
  
"I don't know exactly, I was over at the Smile Time studio following up on a lead. I wandered into some room and there was this burst of light, next thing I know I'm a bloody puppet." Spike walked over to his couch and hopped up onto it. "Say would you do me a favor and grab me a beer from the fridge? I was having trouble with that earlier."  
  
"Sure." Wesley went to the fridge and was getting a beer when he asked, "Can puppets even drink beer?"  
  
"Guess we'll find out." Spike replied. "You can grab one for yourself." Wesley handed Spike his can and opened his own. Spike struggled with his tab a moment before holding it out, slightly embarrassed. "Do you think you could..."  
  
"Of course." Wesley opened it and handed it back before taking a seat beside him. "I'll get a hold of Fred, she'll probably be able to help you with your...puppet problem."  
  
"I'd appreciate it." Spike replied.  
  
"How's that beer going down?" Wesley asked, smiling a bit.  
  
"Alright I guess, different though. Wesley nodded and they both sat silently for a moment. "You ever hear of a bloke named Doyle?"  
  
"Yes, I've heard quite a bit actually. I've never met him myself, but Angel always speaks quite fondly of him. He doesn't like to talk about him often though, I can tell it's still quite painful for him."  
  
"How did Angel know him?"  
  
"Doyle was his link to the powers before Cordelia, he's actually who she got her visions from. It's funny you should ask, I wasn't aware you knew about Doyle."  
  
"Oh, I was just curious is all. He said something about how he and Angel had had some disagreements in the past." Wesley's eyes widened. "Is that what happened? They have some fight and go their separate ways?"  
  
"Spike, you say you've spoken with him, recently?"  
  
"Yeah, he's the guy who told me about Smile Time." He paused for a moment, taken back by the look on Wesley's face. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Spike, Doyle's dead." Wesley told him Solemnly.  
  
"But, that's not possible. I talked to him yesterday!"  
  
"The question isn't how he can be dead, it's how and why is he back?" Wesley pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "Angel, I'm at Spike's. Listen, I don't want to say anything over the phone, but you need to get over here." 


	3. Angel arrives

About 15 minutes had passed, and Spike was angrily pacing around the room. "Why would you tell him to come here? You couldn't have had your little meeting somewhere else?"  
  
"Spike, I understand why you wouldn't want to see Angel right now. But like I said, you're the only one who has been in contact with Doyle, it's important that you're here." Wesley replied, a tad impatiently, as if they've been over this topic a few times before.  
  
"I still don't see why-" Spike stopped as Angel stepped through the door.  
  
"Wes, what's wrong? On the phone you sounded..." his eyes widened as he noticed Spike. "Spike? Is it you?"  
  
"Sod off. It's no concern of yours, peaches." Spike shot back  
  
"It really is you!" Angel burst into a fit of laughter. "What the hell happened?" Angel managed to get out, in between laughing fits. Spike decided he had had enough. He grabbed his beer can and threw it at Angel's forehead. "Was that supposed to hurt?" Angel doubled over, laughing even harder, holding onto the wall for support. Spike glared at him for a moment before climbing onto the back of his chair and launched himself onto Angel's shoulders. Spike grabbed two handfuls of Angel's hair and bashed Angel's head against the wall. "Hey, ow!" Angel cried out. Spike bashed Angel's head against the wall again. "Spike!" Angel yelled angrily. Spike started to laugh wildly and shoved Angel's head into the wall again. Angel decided he had had enough and swatted frantically at the still laughing Spike, who was still seizing each opportunity to do more damage to Angel's head. Rolling his eyes, Wesley walked across the room and grabbing Spike around the waist, attempted to pull him off of Angel. "Ow! Wes! He still has my hair!" Angel howled. Suddenly Spike's hands flew from Angel's hair and Wesley stumbled backwards holding Spike. Angel collapsed to the floor.  
  
"Hey! Put me down, Percy!" Spike yelled while thrashing wildly. "This doesn't concern you!"  
  
"Wes, would you calm him down?" Angel asked as he picked himself up.  
  
"I don't think there's much I can do." Wesley replied, eyeing the thrashing puppet in his arms. "Spike-I called Angel over for a reason, remember?" Spike gradually relaxed.  
  
"Fine. Tell Captain Forehead to fetch me a beer." Spike wiped his hands on his pants. "Don't know how you can stand this much gel in your hair." He muttered.  
  
"Would you get him one?" Wesley asked Angel. Angel walked over and carefully positioned him in front of the fridge.  
  
"Feel free to help yourself to an icepack." Spike taunted. Angel didn't pay any attention. Snickering to himself, he shook up the can of beer in his hand. Wesley put Spike down so he could take the can Angel was bringing him. Spike opened the beer and it sprayed him in the face. He dropped the can and attempted to charge Angel when Wesley scooped him up again.  
  
"There are more important things going on right now." Wesley told him condescendingly. He picked up the near empty beer can and handed it to Spike, who he sat on the couch.  
  
"Spike, can you just, calm down for a moment and let Wes talk?" Angel asked Spike, who grumbled his reply.  
  
"You might want to sit down." Wesley told Angel.  
  
"O.K...What's going on?" He asked nervously, as he sat down in Spike's chair.  
  
"Spike, why don't you tell Angel how you got your...puppet problem."  
  
"Right then. I got this tip from this source I have. He's got connections with the Powers That Be of some sort; they send him these visions that he passes along to me. He told me that this show was doing something to harm kids, so I checked it out and I came across this guy."  
  
"Tell him your source's name." Wesley interjected.  
  
"His name's Doyle." Spike said, looking at Angel meaningfully.  
  
"What?" Angel asked, not believing what Spike said  
  
"He calls himself Doyle." Spike repeated.  
  
"No, that's not possible." Angel stood up "Doyle died, I saw it."  
  
"Maybe the Powers decided that he could do more good for them." Wesley said. "Wouldn't they be capable of that?"  
  
"No, that's just it. I went to the oracles and they told me the Powers wouldn't help me because Cordy inherited his visions." Angel was getting increasingly worked up.  
  
"But with Cordelia now in a coma, that opened up a spot to fill." Wesley told him.  
  
"But that doesn't make sense, why would he be in contact with Spike and not me?"  
  
"It's Wolfram and Hart mate, the Powers saw what it's done to you." Spike replied.  
  
"But Doyle knows me, he knows I would never...He was my friend dammit, he would at least let me know he was alive!"  
  
"Angel, we still can't even be sure this is the same man you knew." Wesley said, trying to calm him down. "Spike, can you tell us anything else?"  
  
"He's a but shorter than me, and he's got this scar around his wrist. He had a touch of a southern accent as well."  
  
"Doyle's Irish." Angel muttered to himself  
  
"What was that?" Wesley asked.  
  
"I said Doyle's Irish. That doesn't make any sense. And I never noticed a scar around his wrist..." Angel trailed off, thinking for a moment. "Short, southern, scar on his wrist. Did he say anything else?"  
  
"Just that you two had what he called 'disagreements'"  
  
"Lindsey." Angel said darkly.  
  
"Who?" Spike asked.  
  
"He was a former lawyer at Wolfram and Hart, who despite the Senior Partner's wishes, tended to focus on getting Angel killed." Wesley explained to him quickly.  
  
""But if he's after me, why bother toying with Spike, sending him off to help people?"  
  
"Probably to make you doubt yourself. Lindsey probably wanted you to see Spike out in the streets when you had given it up." Wesley replied.  
  
"That's not all he's done." Spike added.  
  
"What do you mean?" Wesley asked him.  
  
"He's the one who sent you the amulet that brought me back, and that package making me corporeal."  
  
"He's been playing us all this time." Angel sighed. "Did he ever tell you where he lives?"  
  
"No. He just calls or shows up here. Other than that we meet up every other night in the alley behind this place. I was planning on that tonight until...this happened." Spike looked at his puppet hand pointedly.  
  
"Alright, Wes-take Spike back to the lab, see if Fred can figure out more on what's happened to him. Tonight, I'll be showing up in the alley in Spike's place. 


	4. Puppet Spike in Wolfram and Hart

Spike tentivley stepped out of the Wolfram and Hart elevator behind Wesley, looking up at him nervously. "You'd think an evil place like this would have secret passages of some sort...where blokes could get where they're going unnoticed."  
  
"Fred will be here in a moment." Wesley said, looking down at him sympathetically.  
  
"Good." Spike tried not to notice the employees stopping to stare at him. "What exactly did you tell her?"  
  
"Not much, just that Smile Time was up to more than we thought and to meet us here. Ah, here she is now."  
  
"Spike?!" Fred exclaimed as she saw him. She hurried over to him. "Oh my god, what happened?"  
  
"Long story." Spike sighed.  
  
"I'll get you back to the lab, see if we can figure something out." She scooped him up.  
  
"I'll look into it in my office." Wesley turned to go.  
  
"Let me know if you find anything." Fred told him. Wesley nodded his reply and left. "You can fill me in on everything when we get back to the lab." Fred was carrying him there when they were stopped by Harmony's desk when she squealed,  
  
"Spike?!"  
  
"Bloody hell." He muttered.  
  
"Oh my god!" Harmony ran out from behind her desk. "Can I touch your hair?"  
  
"No." Spike told her firmly  
  
"Are all your parts...fuzzy?" she asked. Fred rolled her eyes. "None of your business." Spike said and Fred whisked him away, leaving Harmony to pout.  
  
"So that burst of energy from that egg looking thing turned you into a puppet?" Fred asked, a bit bewildered. Spike, who was sitting on the countertop, nodded. "I've never heard of anything like that before."  
  
"But you can fix it right?" Fred hesitated. "You'd think if you could find a way to make a ghost corporeal you could find a way to turn a puppet- "  
  
"I'll find a way, don't worry." Fred interrupted him. "And besides, Wesley's working on it too, he might find something in his books that could help." Spike nodded, satisfied enough.  
  
"So, uh, What's the story between you and Wesley?"  
  
"Me and Wes?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"No story really." Fred replied. "He's just a friend."  
  
"Uh-huh." Spike smiled.  
  
"What?" Fred asked, with a confused smile on her face.  
  
"I've seen the way he looks at you, talks about you. He sure as hell doesn't get that look in his eyes when Angel walks in the room." He gave her another soft smile, "He cares about you, pet."  
  
"I know." Fred tried to busy herself by fiddling with her lab equipment.  
  
"...And you don't feel the same way?" Spike asked.  
  
"I don't know." Fred looked uncomfortable. Spike picked up the hint and changed the topic.  
  
"You hear what's going on with Angel?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I have this source who was claiming to get visions from the Powers, and was calling himself Doyle."  
  
"Doyle, isn't he Angel's friend who died awhile ago?"  
  
"Uh-huh. Apparently his real name is Lindsey, Angel's gone to confront him, he and Angel knew each other awhile back."  
  
"Oh. Do you know who he is?" she asked.  
  
"An old enemy of Angel's, he used to work here." Fred turned to look at Wesley; startled she hadn't noticed him come into the lab. "Sorry." He smiled apologetically. "Angel just called, he's going to meet Lindsey now." 


	5. Angel's confrontation

Angel paced in the alley and checked his watch. He thought Lindsey would be here by now. He saw a figure moving towards him in the dark, he stiffened.  
  
"Hey, sorry I'm late. I had some..." Lindsey trailed off as Angel came into view.  
  
"Hello Lindsey." Angel said, taking a step forward.  
  
"Angel." Lindsey smirked at the way Angel was looking at him. "What, no hug?"  
  
"What are you doing Lindsey?"  
  
"Just doing my part to help the helpless, someone around here should."  
  
"Drop the act, Doyle." Angel said. Lindsey laughed.  
  
"You like that do yeah? I thought it would be a nice touch."  
  
"Why do all this?" Angel asked. "I mean this is what you wanted right, to face off with me again? So why bother with Spike?" Lindsey laughed again.  
  
"Because I knew how much it would bother you to see your old enemy out here helping people, when you couldn't be bothered." Lindsey replied.  
  
"That's not how it is."  
  
"Uh-huh." Lindsey replied. "So tell me, why did you take over Wolfram and Hart?"  
  
"To help people. With these resources-"  
  
"No." Lindsey cut him off. "The real reason. I already know, but I want to hear it from you"  
  
"Connor." Angel replied softly.  
  
"Guess that's one thing we have in common huh? We're both here today, because of your son." Lindsey sneered. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out?"  
  
"I honestly didn't care." Angel sneered right back at him, but Lindsey pretended not to notice.  
  
"Darla sacrificed herself for your son-for something you're responsible for. And now, well, when I'm through with you you're gonna be reminiscing about that time I beat you with a sledge hammer."  
  
"I doubt that." Angel punched Lindsey in the jaw. Completely unfazed, Lindsey punched Angel back, sending him tumbling to the ground. Angel jumped back up and took another swing at Lindsey, which he blocked and gave Angel a hard kick in the stomach. "This what you've been up to these past few years Lindsey, training, learning how to fight? Do you really think you can take me?" Angel smirked at him. Lindsey punched Angel again in the face.  
  
"I do. But as much as I'd love to finish you right here, I've got more planned for you." Lindsey replied, and quickly ran out of the alley before Angel could stop him.  
  
Back at Wolfram and Hart, Angel found Spike, Fred, and Wesley still in the lab. "Angel, what happened?" Wesley asked, noticing the bruises on his face. "Did Lindsey do that?"  
  
"Yeah, looks like he's finally learned how to fight. He ran off before we could really get into it though, said something about having plans for me." Angel replied. "Did you figure out how to reverse what happened to Spike?"  
  
"Turns out we wont have to. Apparently his condition is only temporary, it should be worn off within a few days." Fred replied.  
  
"Good, listen Spike, It looks like Lindsey might be a bit of a problem..."  
  
"And you want to know if you can count on me to help." Spike finished for him. Angel nodded. "Angel, you're not the only one he's been playing his games with. Wouldn't you be pissed off if he was responsible for turning you into a bloody puppet?"  
  
"Is that a yes?" Angel asked. Spike nodded, smiling.  
  
"Thanks, I appreciate it."  
  
"Just call if you need me." Spike replied. "Thanks Fred, Wes, for helping me out."  
  
"No problem. Did you want a ride home?" Fred asked.  
  
"Yeah, that would be great." Fred picked him up. "I guess I'll be seeing you later Angel." Spike smiled a good-bye and left with Fred. 


End file.
